In this episode, Brendan Baker from Ridge Ventures shares his venture capital journey, shaped by his experiences in Silicon Valley and AngelList. He discusses AngelList's evolution, market dynamics, and human judgment in investing. Brendan delves into decision-making models, Naval Ravikant's wisdom, and success factors in top deals. He covers distribution strategies, startup signals, and his transition to Greylock. Learn about building Ridge Ventures with AI, systematic advantages, and balancing reputations. The episode wraps up with insights on infrastructure, future evolution, and fund management challenges in venture capital. (0:00) Ridge's high success rate and revenue network (1:27) Introduction and guest Brendan Baker from Ridge Ventures (2:02) Brendan's background and transition to venture capital (3:27) Influence of Silicon Valley and joining AngelList (5:31) Evolution at AngelList and early venture capital insights (8:35) Human judgment and market dynamics in venture capital (13:18) Brendan's role and semi-efficient markets at AngelList (18:51) Decision-making and future models in venture investments (20:24) Insights and wisdom from Naval Ravikant (23:29) Identifying success factors in top deals (24:46) Distribution strategies and signals of quality in startups (29:15) Transitioning to Greylock and learnings from industry leaders (36:27) Building Ridge Ventures and utilizing AI in venture capital (41:49) Creating systematic advantages in venture firms (44:39) Community and personal branding's impact on venture capital (47:57) Institutional reputation versus individual reputation (50:09) Role of infrastructure and partners in venture success (52:20) Future evolution and alignment of values in venture capital (57:12) Challenges and potential improvements in fund management (59:05) Closing remarks and gratitude